For insurance purposes, all HLC players must use equipment that was manufactured and approved for lacrosse play. Substitutions, such as Hockey helmets, are not permitted.

STX, Brine, Warrior, Shamrock and deBeer are all high quality lacrosse brands and are adequate for youth lacrosse.

Lacrosse equipment is available from many sources both locally and on-line. The following Richmond retailers carry lacrosse gear. Play It Again Sports, Disco Sports, and The Lacrosse Cage all have a good selection of equipment along with an educated staff to help with selection and fitting.

Girls Equipment Requirements

Girls lacrosse has different rules for contact and therefore have different stick and equipment requirements.

Girls Lacrosse Stick

Protective Eyewear

Molded mouthguard

Boys Equipment Requirements:

Boys lacrosse is a contact sport and HLC requires full lacrosse gear:

Boys Lacrosse Stick

Lacrosse Helmet

Gloves

Arm Pads

Shoulder Pads

Molded mouthguard

A protective cup is reccomended

Goalie equipment is provided by HLC

Stick Cost
Boys sticks range from $25 to $250. There is no reason to spend more than the lower end of this range for a beginner player or any player in HLC. Any stick by STX, Brine, Warrior, deBeers or Shamrock is adequate.

Stick Length
High School and NCAA regulations state that the entire stick (from top of head to bottom of shaft) can be no shorter than 40 inches and no longer than 6 feet (for defenders). Most new sticks are 42 inches and therefore can be cut down by removing the plastic butt and cutting with a hacksaw. The new end should be filed to smooth the rough edges and the butt returned. A shorter stick is easier for beginners.

For younger players (3rd graders), it is OK to cut the stick to a more comfortable length, but no shorter than 35 inches. As the player grows, the shorter shaft can be replaced.

Stick Pocket
Per regulations, when holding the stick horizontally at eye level, you should not be able to see daylight between the top of the ball and the bottom edge of the plastic stick.

The pocket determines the direction and action of the thrown ball. Every stick is different and therefore must be maintained to ensure consistent performance. Typically, a new stick requires "breaking in", a softening of the pocket. Constant pounding of the ball into the pocket and catching and throwing are the best ways to break in a stick.

To loosen the pocket, untie the sidewall strings (one on each side of the stick) and the four leather thongs. A beginner's pocket should show about 2/3 to 3/4 of the ball beneath the stick. The "throw strings" at the top of the stick will also impact the flight of the ball. The top string should be tighter than the one below it.

Helmet Cost
Helmets are expensive but if sized correctly it can be used for several years. Typically, they range from $85 to $125.

Reminder:
Our insurance requires that all HLC players must use equipment that was manufactured and approved for lacrosse. Hockey helmets will not be permitted.

Helmet SizeSeveral brands, such as Cascade, run from XXXS through L. Most youth players will use a XXS or XS. There are also some Junior lacrosse helmets available. Please measure the player's head circumference at his forehead before calling or going to a store. Typical sizes for Geronimo players are:

XXS

Less than 20 3/4 inches

XS

20 3/4 to 21 1/4 inches

S

21 1/2 to 22 3/8 inches

M

22 1/2 to 23 5/8 inches

A New Player's Guide To Equipmentby Kevin O'Brien - 11/14/04

If you're just starting lacrosse, you may be overwhelmed by all the different kinds of equipment.

As a lacrosse coach in a state where football is king, baseball is queen (yes, the queen reference was intentional), and lacrosse is still ranked somewhere around the rank of stable-boy-shoveling-horse-manure, I’ve had the good luck to help out many new programs. These programs are made up of players brand new to the game. The first hurdle in turning these raw kids into the testosterone-laden, hard-hitting, spitting-sorry-game-at-cheerleader specimen that society defines as a lacrosse player is obtaining the proper equipment.

As new equipment is on the verge of coming out, the price tag of last year’s products are on their way down. Also, manufacturers have noticed and acted on the fact that lacrosse players (especially new ones) want quality equipment, and don’t want to break the bank getting it. This has led to quality gear at low prices.

Stick

The stick is obviously the most important piece of equipment. Two models out now that are a far cry from what is considered a beginners stick are the STX AV8 and the Debeer Icon. Both come as complete sticks (although you potential defensemen and LSM’s should try and get one with a long pole) and should be restrung. I’d suggest buying the complete stick with hard mesh, and getting someone to restring it using those same materials. My personal preference is the AV8, since (as a defenseman) it's sturdier. For attackmen I’d suggest the Icon, since it does offer a better pinch and therefore better ball control. Middes can take their pick.

These heads will surely outlast the aluminum shaft they come with, so at some point when your shaft is shaped like a "v", ask your more experienced teammates what you should buy next.

Some good low-cost options are the Gait Icon or STX AV8

Gloves

Gloves are right behind the stick in importance. Look for something that fits to your liking. Make sure you don’t have too much wiggle room, but make they have adequate flexibility. Something to also look at in addition to the hand movement is the wrists. Are you more comfortable cradling with one type of cuff over another? When choosing the glove that’s best for you, try on your teammates’ gloves first. If you find a pair you like, ask them how long it takes to break them in, how they did it, what size they are, where they got them, how much they cost, etc. If you’re lucky enough to have a store that has a large inventory of lacrosse equipment, try on everything you can. Check out Lax Nation reviews of higher-end gloves. Some manufacturers include certain features of their most expensive gloves in the mid-range gloves . A helpful hint though, would be to find out what rules your team will be playing by. Some leagues and teams require your gloves to match (in color) the others on your team. Some teams do custom glove orders, so it wouldn’t do you much good to buy two pairs of gloves if you only need one.

Some good low-cost models are any low-end Brine models. Brine is traditionally the best at making beginner’s gloves.

Elbow Pads

Elbow pads are of varying importance depending on what position you are looking to play. Defensemen don’t really need much protection, so mobility brought about by a smaller elbow pad might be the best choice. Attackmen are the ones suffering from the defensemen’s wrath, so they might want more protection. Look to see what parts of the elbow and arm are covered. Also, look at the way it’s connected. Elastic might wear out in awhile, while Velcro might not always fit. In addition, check out the joint. Some arm pads are in basically three pieces, which allow greater mobility but might sacrifice some protection. Find out what best suits your needs, and choose wisely.

Some good low-cost arm pads are Gait's Flare AG.

Shoulder Pads

Although more advanced players will tell you that you don’t need any shoulder pads at all, or the least amount of padding allowed, I’d recommend a solid, protective pair of shoulder pads when you’re starting out. Shoulder pads are primarily to protect your sternum and collar bone. Outside of that, it might just be a matter of your pain threshold. You’ll probably find that with more protection, you’ll be sacrificing some mobility (like arm guards). Try on various pairs to figure out you’re size; those charts in catalogs are never accurate.

Since lacrosse players rarely get a full-ride scholarship to the nation’s best academic institutions without a solid GPA and SAT score, so you’ll need to protect your brain as best you can. Recently, the helmet market has exploded with several companies offering up new models. The standard to draw from has always been Cascade, and you will not be disappointed with any Cascade helmet.

Once again, your school or league might already provide team helmets, or may even line up a team purchase. In addition, like gloves, you may be required to match your teammates’ helmet color. Be sure to talk to your team before buying your own helmet.

Some low-cost options for a Helmet might be the Cascade CLH2 or CLH2+.

Cleats

Lacrosse is the fastest game on two feet, yet it also requires the most agility. Accordingly, you’ll need traction, not just to get up and down muddy fields quickly, but also to start, stop, and change directions as fast as possible to be a threat on both sides of the field.

Usually, defensemen seem to opt for a cleat that gives them the most support, something like the ankle support offered in football cleats. Middies and attack seem to gravitate towards soccer cleats that have a low ankle or mid ankle heights. Under no circumstances should you look at purchasing baseball cleats, as most leagues have made them illegal for field play. On a related note, all cleats have to be non-metal and of a certain length. Some people might opt for having screw-in cleats. I’ve personally found them to be a bit of a pain, especially when you lose one right before a game and don’t have a replacement. They’re also more expensive than the regular molded cleats.

Recently lacrosse companies have started offering lacrosse-specific cleats. This trend started with Warrior marketing a cleat made by New Balance. Brine has also recently entered this market this season. These cleats, while of good repute and fairly high quality, aren’t really necessary for the first year player. Try out whatever you’ve got lying around from a previous sport. If you find out you need more support in the ankle area, or the support there is too restricting, then go ahead and buy a better cleat.

Not Required items:

Rib Pads: Particularly appropriate for attackmen who work between defenders.